Nidhi Jain is a software engineer in Bubble’s New York office. She joined Bubble in the fall of 2022 after earning her bachelors and masters degrees in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University. While at Carnegie Mellon, she interned as an engineer at Facebook, Instagram, and NASA, published research on machine learning and neuroscience, and developed curriculum as a computer science teaching assistant. Standard college stuff, no big deal (/s).
We sat down with Nidhi to ask her about her journey to joining Bubble, and what it’s been like for her so far.
Interested in joining the team working to build the software to build all software? Take a look at Careers at Bubble.
How did you decide to join Bubble?
When I was studying computer science and machine learning at Carnegie Mellon, I was constantly reminded of the limitless potential my newly acquired skills have to shape future tech products. It was also, however, hard to ignore how unnecessarily complex the knowledge required to build these products is. Building an app to help connect individuals to medical care, for example, should not be something only those with technical expertise can do. Technology, of course, continues to advance, so it felt like the barrier to entry for building useful tech products would only grow higher over time.
Hearing about Bubble’s goal to democratize software creation by abstracting complex concepts to a more widely adoptable level was exciting and refreshing. The prospect of contributing to Bubble’s impact, while also tackling the ambitious challenges involved in building a robust, Turing-complete visual programming language, made Bubble the ideal next step for me!
What did you think of the Bubble interview process?
One of the final rounds of the process was the “life experience interview,” an open-ended interview format unique to Bubble. I expected it to be a typical behavioral interview and prepared my favorite weakness-turned-to-strength anecdotes. Once the interview began, I quickly realized that the hour-long conversation about my values, passions, and experiences was unlike any interview I had experienced before. Bubble had a genuine interest in my values and character, and it was clear that Bubble wanted to ensure they were employing kind, respectful people who would grow together as coworkers and friends.
Tell us about a typical day in the life as a software engineer at Bubble.
A typical day in the life of a software engineer at Bubble in New York City begins with a quick stand up. This is the daily meeting with my immediate team where we share our progress from the last day. The rest of the day is a mix of building new features, and intentional, cross-collaborative meetings with other engineers, members of the product team, and designers. Also, those in the office try to eat lunch together every day.
What surprised you during your first few months on the job?
How much of an impact I was able to immediately make! Coming from mostly working at big tech companies, I was used to long ramp-up times for high priority projects. At Bubble, I had the opportunity to work on impactful projects in my first few months. And my coworkers trusted me to do so. It’s been an exciting first few months!
What part of your work are you most excited about?
I’m especially excited to see how we integrate generative AI with Bubble to empower our users even further. Already, artificial intelligence and Bubble have independently had a tremendous impact on making difficult things easier. It will be fun to see how they can accelerate each other forward. There is already a deluge of impressive work built on Bubble, and with all the current work we’re doing to make building even easier and more expansive, I can’t wait to see what people build next.
What’s unique about working at Bubble?
Our mission of democratizing software creation has an objectively positive impact on the world. That’s not always the case when it comes to novel technology. We also have an incredibly ambitious, kind, and diverse group of people working together towards this common goal.
And last but certainly not least: What’s your favorite place in NYC?
This French bakery (I think it’s formally a patisserie) in Greenwich Village called Sweet Rehab! They truly have the best desserts I’ve ever had, and such a great variety of creative combinations I haven’t seen elsewhere.
